A range of organisations are to work together to design and specify products for longer life and closed loop production, and ensure less clothing goes to incineration and landfill.
Funded by EU LIFE, the European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP) will work with brands, retailers, manufacturers, charities, reuse and recycling organisations to tackle the problem.
ECAP will initially be active in the UK and other countries including Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Spain but not in France where retailers already have an obligation to be involved in recycling.
The project also hopes to encourage consumers to buy less clothing and use it for longer with more than 90,000 tonnes of clothing waste diverted from landfill and incineration per year throughout Europe by March 2019.
To run for three years and initially led by WRAP, it will run in partnership with the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), MADE-BY, Rijkswaterstaat (part of the Dutch ministry of Infrastructure and Environment), and the Danish Fashion Institute.
‘Sustainable’
WRAP chief executive Dr Liz Goodwin said: “Finding more sustainable ways to work with textiles is an area set to deliver huge benefits – both economic and environmental. To be leading on a project of this magnitude is something I am very excited about, and applying tried and tested approaches such as voluntary agreements and consumer campaigns across Europe, will really take our expertise to the next level. I look forward watching this initiative progress.”
Wayne Hubbard, chief operating officer at LWARB, added: “London’s participation in this project presents a hugely exciting opportunity for the capital to be recognised as a sustainable fashion hub with its thriving fashion industry, world-leading educational establishments for designers, stylists, fashion journalists and photographers, a huge uniformed workforce and some of the most switched-on consumers in Europe.
“LWARB is delighted to be involved to test and showcase what works, learn from others and then share our experience with other large European cities.”
WEEE
This is the second European Union-funded project won by WRAP, now a charity, this month. Last week WRAP announced it would be spearheading another €2.1 million project to explore commercial opportunities for recovering raw materials from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
The project, which is also funded by EU LIFE, will include participation from the UK, Germany, Italy and Turkey (see letsrecycle.com story).
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